I know... believe me I know, and I apologize. A couple of things have been going on in my personal life recently which made me want to take a break, but now I'm back and want to continue both of my fanfics!
Thank you very much to everyone who left a review urging me to return to this series. It's thanks to your encouragement and support that I can bring you this chapter.
I am interested in exploring more character dynamics and relationships, but for those who want more action and WonderBat moments, don't worry, those are coming too :)
Alright, enough chit-chat. Enjoy the chapter!
Bruce was internally cringing when he peeked out of his car window. Journalists, photographers, and cameramen were swarming outside Wayne Tower, awaiting his arrival. Bruce was starting to seriously contemplate having a boom tube installed inside his office so that he could get inside without having to deal with the press.
"No rest for the wicked, sir," Alfred noted as Bruce put on his special sunglasses. "I wish you'd more often remember that Bruce Wayne is Batman's most powerful ally."
"Bruce Wayne's money, certainly. But Batman is the one Gotham truly needs."
"We've been having this argument for almost eight years now, master Bruce, so I won't bother explaining why I disagree with you, but at least try to THINK about my point."
"I promise I'll think about it, Alfred. This shouldn't take more than an hour."
"Good luck, sir."
Bruce exited his custom Rolls Royce and confidently walked towards the entrance to Wayne Tower. It didn't take very long for the media crowd to swarm around him. The security team did their best to corral Bruce towards the entrance of the building, while he just smiled and waved with a dopey grin on his face. It wasn't like the media expected anything more from Gotham's most eligible bachelor.
"Mister Wayne! Any comments on the Mayor's new 'tough-on-crime' policies?"
"Is it true you didn't support any candidates in the last election?"
"Your thoughts on Lex Luthor's presidential campaign? Would you consider running for office?"
"Do you agree that Batman and his gang are a stain on Gotham's name? Just last night they injured a police officer!"
Bruce easily ignored the questions. Mainly because he felt no obligation to answer them, but also because it added to Bruce Wayne's mystique and exclusivity, which allowed him to more easily switch over to Batman without arousing suspicion.
"Mister Wayne, what do you answer to a poll that states that 83% of Gothamites feel the ruling classes are corrupt and influencing Gotham for the worst?"
That one question caught Bruce's attention. The question itself was certainly much less conventional than the usual "Yes or No" questions that got thrown his way. But also, the voice behind it seemed awfully familiar.
Bruce scanned the crowd immediately around him, and his eyes eventually landed on Vicki Vale. She was a far cry from the Vicki Vale he used to run into at galas, and on one occasion… "romantically socialized" with.
For some reason, Alfred's words of advice came back into Bruce's mind: Bruce Wayne is Batman's most powerful ally…
He gestured to his security team to let Vicki through, which earned her a lot of hateful stares and complaints from her colleagues.
"I had no idea you were back in Gotham, Vicki," Bruce said easily with a charming smile. "You could have called."
"Apologies, mister Wayne, I had more pressing matters to deal with," Vicki replied curtly as she jammed her tape recorder in Bruce's face. "Isn't there a disconnect between people like you who have more money than they know what to do with, living in a city where 20% of households are food insecure, 32% are unemployed, and whose crime rate is the highest in the country by a comfortable margin?"
In all honesty, Vicki's question made Bruce pause in surprise. He suddenly felt compelled to address, even though he'd told himself he would glide past all the reporters. Bruce could now see that everyone around him was expecting an answer from him since he hadn't said a word for several seconds.
Bruce Wayne is Batman's most powerful ally…
"Miss Vale, you're absolutely right," Bruce replied quickly. The entire crowd of journalists held their breath as they got ready to jot down his every word. "The truth is that Gotham no longer belongs to its citizens. It is being sold to the highest bidder and exploited by special interest groups. And while I am not one of those people, I share the blame for not taking action sooner."
Bruce Wayne paused, trying to weigh his next words carefully. The reporters were on the edge of their seats. Even Vicki seemed genuinely surprised.
What have you gotten yourself into, Bruce… might as well go all in.
"Within the week I will be convening a board meeting of Wayne Enterprises to restructure our company into one that helps to shape a brighter for all Gothamites. The days of standing on the sidelines are over. Gotham must return to its people."
And with that, Bruce pushed forward towards Wayne Tower, even as the reporters cried out desperate follow-up questions. Once he was inside the lobby, his security team blocked any media people from following. Bruce quickly made his way to his private elevator and rode all the way to the top floor of Wayne Tower, where his and Lucius Fox's offices were located.
When Bruce emerged on the 123rd floor, he found his entire staff glued to one of the large plasma screen TVs in the waiting room. Even Lucius Fox was watching, along with all three of Bruce's secretaries. They all watched his answer to Vicki Vale's question, with the lower third reading "Bruce Wayne promises that Gotham will 'return to its people'".
As he approached the group, Bruce overheard some whispered comments:
"I didn't know he had it in him."
"It's probably just a PR move."
"I didn't hear about it. I always hear about things like this."
"Is this the second White Knight? This city's—"
"Mister Wayne!"
Lucius Fox's address made everyone turn around awkwardly, trying to act clueless or disinterested in the events on television.
"Please don't stop watching on my account," Bruce said with a grin. "I was just hoping to get a minute with mister Fox."
"Of course. Please, step into my office," Lucius said, gesturing for him to follow.
After closing the door behind him to make sure they had privacy, Lucius got straight to the point.
"Were your comments serious?"
"Absolutely," Bruce replied without hesitation. "I meant every word. And I'd like to ask for your help in putting a plan into action."
"You're aware I have my hands full with our R&D department?"
"Some of the Wayne Tech patents can be repurposed to help the people of Gotham," Bruce said confidently, though he was not speaking with a coherent plan in mind. "No need to worry about developing any new… items, at least for now. Just concentrate your efforts on adapting our current technology for public use."
"If you say so," Lucius did not seem entirely convinced. "Although you should be aware that this rebranding of Wayne Enterprises will come with a major caveat to address."
"And what's that?"
"It's the name itself. 'Wayne Enterprises'. Half of it is YOUR name. And your name is associated with a life of excess and entitlement. Changing Wayne Enterprises means in no small part having to change YOUR image, Bruce."
Bruce nodded at Lucius' point. It was true that his reputation amongst Gothamites was not the best, and for a long time that had been to his advantage. But now that he was planning on making Bruce Wayne's public image more prominent, it seemed inevitable that it needed a substantial overhaul.
"I'll think about it, Lucius, thank you," Bruce replied gratefully. "Were you able to find what I asked for?"
Lucius nodded with a knowing smile, the way he always did when he presented Bruce with a new piece of equipment. He removed a small box from his desk drawer and opened it to reveal a pair of contact lenses.
"They're only experimental," Lucius explained. "But already quite effective. We started developing them a few years ago as visual aids for special ops soldiers. In addition to UV blocking, they also correct vision like regular contact lenses. They can display a custom designed HUD linked to the cave's computer. We tried integrating X-ray and infrared view capabilities, but at that point the MIC had cut funding to the project. It turns out that 4 million dollars is just too much to spend on fancy contact lenses."
"How cheap of them," Bruce noted humorously.
Bruce observed the lenses carefully, impressed by what they were already capable of and thinking about how they could be improved in the future.
"Could you close the blinds, Lucius?"
"Certainly."
When the room was dark, Bruce removed his sunglasses and inserted the contact lenses. The sensation was immediately strange and uncomfortable. His vision was blurry and unfocused as the lenses synched up with his eyes.
"It takes a moment to get used to," Lucius warned. "But after that, you'll almost forget you're wearing them. I've calibrated them to work by audio, but you can modify that if you wish. Just say 'UV protection', or 'sunglasses'."
"Sunglasses."
Bruce's vision suddenly darkened. When Lucius reopened the blinds, it was like Bruce had sunglasses directly on top of his eyeballs.
"Perfect."
"Glad you approve," Lucius said with a satisfied smile. "Was there anything else you required?"
"Nothing for now, Lucius, thanks," Bruce and Lucius made their way out of his office and back into the waiting room. "There is a… substance that I'm currently having analyzed, and I might require some expertise if we can't figure out what it's about."
"I'm sure I can find someone in our applied sciences division who could help, should the need arise. Is it in any way related to the incident at the dockyards?"
"That's the one. It's effects are similar to another drug, but it's been modified somehow."
"Well, in any case, I hope your research proves fruitful," Lucius said cautiously as Bruce entered the elevator. "I'll start making the arrangements to have Wayne Enterprises switch its focus towards aiding Gotham. And if I may say, Bruce, I entirely approve of this course of action."
"Glad to hear it, Lucius," the two men shared a firm handshake. "It's time we all step up to do our part."
"A festival?"
Diana nodded as Bruce shot her an incredulous look. They were alone in the Watchtower's physical diagnostics lab, which Batman had reserved for several hours to make sure they weren't interrupted. Bruce wanted to know what he was dealing with before he informed the rest of the League.
"Yes, Batman," Diana replied patiently, feeling awkward about having to use his secret identity. "It takes place every five years to commemorate our liberation from Ares and the creation of the protective border around Themyscira. My mother asked that we wait until the festival is over."
"Alright, thanks for trying," Bruce said. He had finished setting up the various machines. "Guess this gives me some free time to run tests."
"Bru… Batman, I think you're being unnecessarily meticulous, for once. Why don't we just try this?"
Without waiting for Bruce's approval, Diana took him by the hand and dragged him out of the lab, down the hall and into an empty sparring room. She climbed onto one of the fighting rings and gestured for Bruce to follow.
"Princess, this isn't serious—"
"Oh, forget about serious," Diana chided as she stretched her joints. "Be a little less serious for once. You want to test your strength? What better way to do it than like this?"
Bruce looked almost embarrassed to answer. He was deliberately avoiding Diana's gaze.
"I don't want to risk hurting you or the baby," Bruce muttered as he drew closer to the ring.
"We won't do an actual fight. Just punch my hand harder and harder until I start to feel something. Then I'll do the same to you."
"Great," Bruce chuckled, before finally stepping into the ring.
Diana held her palm out in front of her. She could see that Bruce was still a bit dubious, but she just smiled reassuringly and gestured for him to go ahead.
Bruce set himself up in his combat stance, carefully aiming and gaging his punch. Diana planted her feet firmly in the ground, just in case Bruce underestimated.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
Bruce started with a fairly low energy punch, which Diana barely felt. Then slowly, one punch at a time, she could feel his attack getting more powerful. She could feel her arm start to tingle slightly. Eventually, it got sore. Diana was impressed.
"Here let me just switch arms."
"What are you two up to?"
Diana and Bruce both turned towards Superman who had just entered the gym with a confused look on his face.
"Just training," Diana said quickly, putting her hands behind her back.
"Some training," Clark noted humorously. "What's wrong, Batman? Forgotten how to throw a punch?"
"Care to help me remember?" Bruce replied drily.
"Hey! That's an idea," Diana said excitedly, looking from Clark to Bruce. "Why don't you two fight? You'd be less afraid of hitting Superman than me, right?"
"Not sure if that's a good thing," Clark noted. "I don't get what any of this is about, but if I can help, I will."
"Step into the ring then."
Diana jumped out of the ring as Clark climbed in. Bruce already seemed more comfortable and eager for his arrangement, judging from how he was cracking his knuckles and stretching his joints in anticipation. Clark was clearly not fully grasping what was about to happen.
"You are aware that the last time you tried to punch me you broke three knuckles," Clark noted, standing perfectly upright. "Wait… does this have something to do with what happened at the Founders Meeting?"
"Why?" Bruce asked with a predatory smirk. "Having second thoughts?"
"No," Clark replied confidently, although he was internally wondering what might have happened to Bruce.
"The fight will start and end on my command," Diana stated, taking several steps away from the two men. "Begin!"
Catwoman was bored out of her mind. The Watchtower's cafeteria was slowly starting to fill up for lunch. She vaguely knew who some of these heroes were, but she honestly did not feel motivated to socialize with any of them.
When she had asked to become a member of the Justice League as a reward for her actions on Themyscira, she had pictured something much more sensational. It had started out as an easy way to drive Bruce insane, but Selina had also toyed with the idea of doing good for the world rather than stealing another priceless gem or piece of art.
She was starting to regret her decision right about now. Since she lacked powers and was a new recruit, the only missions that got pushed her way were humanitarian aid and "youth inspiration". She particularly abhorred the latter one which consisted in talking to children about what it meant to be a hero and instilling them with strong moral values.
On her VERY FIRST MISSION, Selina had been paired up with SUPERMAN to exchange with a class of 1st graders. It was painfully awkward, both for Superman and for her. The Boy Scout was an expert in motivational speeches, which always made Selina gag when she heard them in movies. The kids could not get enough of it, they hung on to every word with starry eyes and mesmerized faces. Even the kids' teacher had to keep drying her eyes to not cry in front of her students.
After about ten minutes of speaking, Superman had suddenly turned to Selina with a mortifying "I'll now let Catwoman give us her two cents on what it means to be a hero". Selina knew that Superman did not mean to put her in an awkward spot, but she also remembered what Bruce had said about him being completely clueless.
She could physically see the enthusiasm drain out of the kid's faces as their eyes reluctantly turned towards her. There were five seconds of complete silence before Selina managed to squeeze out an "I have nothing further to add, you said it all so perfectly", after which the students were allowed to ask them questions.
Unsurprisingly, all the questions were directed at Superman. It seemed like all the kids wished Selina would just disappear, and at that point, she very much shared the sentiment.
Superman, still clueless as ever, desperately tried to get Catwoman involved by asking the kids if they had any questions for her. An awkward silence followed until a cute little girl with blond pigtails raised her hand from the back, only to declare:
"My mommy says your outfit is trampy and unbecoming and you're a disgrace to young girls everywhere."
Superman and the teacher were too dumbfounded to step in and reprimand the student, but Selina was already ready with her rebuttal:
"Your mommy is a judgy bitch who tries to make up for her useless and pathetic life by belittling others. I feel great, I look great and I am great, and it certainly isn't your idiot mom that'll convince me otherwise. And let me add this: as you grow up, you'll unfortunately be confronted with people who try to label you because of how you look, or how you speak, or how you dress. They will desperately try to make you believe that there is something wrong with you because you do not fit their definition of 'normal'. And those people, like your mother, can go fuck themselves. Look both ways before crossing the street and don't forget to floss. Ciao!"
And with that, Selina exited out through the window of the classroom. Before anyone managed to speak up, she was already long gone.
As Catwoman ran a claw around her empty coffee mug, she did her best not to remember that day. It featured highly in her 'most embarrassing moments' pantheon, even though Superman had later praised her sincerity and noted 'the form was poor, but the message was strong'.
Damn these heroes, Selina thought to herself as she scratched a circle into the table. I bet it was Bruce who arranged to put me in that situation to begin with…
Through some strange coincidence, just as she was thinking about Bruce, one of the televisions in the mess hall cut to a news report regarding the famous billionaire. Selina curiosity was piqued, finally something to occupy her attention. She grabbed a remote and unmuted the TV.
The two pundits were discussing something Bruce had said. The lower third read 'Billionaire Bruce Wayne discusses socialist reform in Gotham':
PUNDIT A: "You have to wonder about the state of our society when billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne is trying to lecture Gothamites about how their city should be run. I miss when that kid was just quiet and rich, instead of mouthy and rich".
PUNDIT B: "Don't know why I was hoping you'd look at this with a less cynical view. Do you not realize how huge this is? The richest man in America and one of the richest men on Earth displaying such self-awareness about his position of influence".
PUNDIT A: "I don't want to crush your expectations, but I'm expecting a retraction any day now. His PR team's going to burst on to every news outlet to clarify that our dear Prince of Gotham was just recovering from a hangover".
PUNDIT B: "I'd argue that Bruce Wayne is one of the few people who is truly fighting for this city, and if he's willing to commit even more, he receives MY full support. Look around! Just last night a GCPD officer was badly injured in the line of duty following some altercation between Batman's associates and some superhuman freak—"
PUNDIT A: "Which one? It's not like Gotham's short on freaks".
PUNDIT B: "My point exactly! When a playboy billionaire and a gang of masked vigilantes are the ones fighting the hardest to save the soul of Gotham City, I think it's about time we ask ourselves some serious questions. I, for one, look forward to hearing about Bruce Wayne's plan to 'return Gotham to its people'".
PUNDIT A: "Well, hopefully, we won't have to wait until hell freezes over. That's all the time we have. Back to you in the studio".
Selina muted the television as she reflected on what the pundits had discussed. Bruce had never once let slip that he was interested in financing public interest projects or becoming an inspirational figure for Gotham's future.
"So rich and handsome is going to save Gotham? Good luck," a superhero muttered to another as they walked past Selina.
"Wonder how Batman's going to react to some rich kid trying to make the law in his city?"
Selina tried not to roll her eyes and groan at the pair's cluelessness, or at the irony that they were all currently standing on a space station that was almost entirely financed by Wayne Enterprises.
KABOUM!
The shockwave rippled through the Watchtower, startling everyone. People thought it was some kind of attack but none of the alarm systems were going off.
BOUM! KERPOW!
These loud impact sounds were soon followed by an announcement over the P.A:
"Attention! This is Martian Manhunter! Any JL members with strength ratings of Omega or above, please report to sparring room B immediately!"
Several heroes immediately got up from their tables and rushed out of the cafeteria. Despite being nowhere near Omega power level, Selina could not tame her curiosity. She had to see what this was about. And this was unlikely to be an instance where curiosity would kill this cat.
Martian Manhunter and Supergirl were already inside the sparring room when the other heroes arrived, and what they found left everyone speechless: Batman and Superman were fighting, and Batman seemed to be winning.
Every strike that Bruce was able to land sent out a powerful soundwave throughout the entire station, and somehow his attacks actually damaged Superman. The Big Guy looked like his bell had been firmly rung. He kept his arms up to protect himself, but everyone could see his form was terrible. Superman was the most powerful being on Earth and one of the strongest in the Universe, but no one would call him a 'warrior' or a 'fighter'.
Batman, on the other hand, was both of these things. His technique and fighting abilities were second to none, and when they were enhanced with metahuman strength, as seemed to be the case here, he truly looked unstoppable.
Martian Manhunter and Supergirl locked eyes with Wonder Woman who just gestured for them to standby. Everyone in that room would be lying if they said they didn't want to see how this ended.
After a few seconds of wailing on Superman with barely any retaliation, Bruce finally eased off the pressure and stepped away from Clark to give him some breathing room.
"Getting tired, Batman?" he managed to squeeze out.
"Just thought I should give you a chance to attack ME for a change," Bruce retorted with a smirk. "Bring it."
"Gladly!"
Superman flew straight at Batman at a speed that Selina could barely comprehend, and before she could process it, Bruce redirected all of Clark's momentum and sent him crashing down to the mat with such force the entire Watchtower rumbled.
"That's enough!" Martian Manhunter finally spoke up, stepping onto the ring. "I don't know how long the Watchtower will remain in orbit if you continue like this. Why didn't you use one of the special meta training rooms?"
Clark, Diana and Bruce all exchanged a sheepish look, clearly saying 'whoops, should have thought of that'.
Bruce held a hand out to his old friend who grasped it firmly and let himself be pulled back to his feet.
"You had me completely beat, Batman," Clark conceded without a shred of bitterness. "This is entirely your win."
"Don't try to flatter me," Bruce said as he stepped out of the ring. "We both know that if you used all your power, we wouldn't have a Watchtower anymore."
"You say that like you were hoping for it," Diana noted in disbelief. The other heroes were slowly filing out of the sparring room.
"No, I've gotten some useful data," Bruce replied matter-of-factly. "Thanks for helping us out, Superman."
"My pleasure. I'll try to present you with more of a challenge if we do this again."
"Please don't do this again," Supergirl groaned under her breath.
"I concur," Martian Manhunter added.
As Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Martian Manhunter spoke amongst each other, Selina hung back near the door, just out of sight. Something painful was gnawing at her heart and she didn't like it. She didn't like it, because she recognized this feeling: the fear of being abandoned.
He's truly out of my reach now… The one thing that we could still have in common, two humans surrounded by gods… gone. He's perfect in every way. Gotham's protector will live forever, stronger than ever, with this immortal goddess at his side, while I'll grow old and die alone surrounded by an indifferent universe…
Bruce thought he's sensed someone's presence near the entrance to the sparring room, but when he looked up, no one was there. That presence had felt so familiar but he could not figure out why…
Looks like the old saying is universal, 'you can't teach an old cat new tricks'… Goodbye, Bruce. Wave to me from on high, just in case I can still see you.
DONE!
Man, it feels good to publish a chapter after so long. I really want to keep this momentum going and I look forward to all your reviews.
Bear in mind that the path for this story is not set in stone, so any suggestions or ideas are welcome.
Hope you all have a great week, and I'll be seeing you in chapter 5.